scholarly journals The ABC method as a tool for blended learning course development at Bergen University Library

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Pål Steiner ◽  
Ingunn Rødland ◽  
Henry Langseth ◽  
Christian Højbjerg Hansen

Embarking on planning and design of new library courses, or just even redesigning them, might be challenging in an everyday busy schedule. Especially if you want to try out new digital applications or features that could give the training an edge towards students, often prejudiced to what they can expect from a traditional library course. Ideally you engage colleagues and even students and faculty members in such a process. But how can you allocate enough time and resources to reach such ambitions? The ABC method, developed at University College London, is an effective, engaging and creative approach. In only 90 minutes groups are able to work together hands-on to create a visual storyboard outlining the type and sequence of learning activities aligned with the course’s learning outcomes. Blended learning and co-creation are often encouraged in course design in many educational institutions these days. The ABC method encourage also library instructors to think about e-learning tools, methods for active learning and opportunities for co-creation. Library courses, in difference from regular courses at universities, if often taught as a “one-shot-session”, and they rarely include formal evaluations. We therefore felt the need to adapt the method to better suit these circumstances. We adjusted both agenda and material, but all ideas and principles follow the original method. Evaluation showed good feedback regarding the proportion of participants who intended to change their course design after attending the workshop. This session will present the basic principles of the ABC-method and our experiences working with this approach to blended course planning.

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Pål Steiner ◽  
Ingunn Rødland ◽  
Henry Langseth ◽  
Christian Højberg Hansen

Embarking on planning and design of new library courses, or just even redesigning them, might be challenging in an everyday busy schedule. Especially if you want to try out new digital applications or features that could give the training an edge towards students, often prejudiced to what they can expect from a traditional library course. Ideally you engage colleagues and even students and faculty members in such a process. But how can you allocate enough time and resources to reach such ambitions? The ABC method, developed at University College London, is an effective, engaging and creative approach. In only 90 minutes groups are able to work together hands-on to create a visual storyboard outlining the type and sequence of learning activities aligned with the course’s learning outcomes. Blended learning and co-creation are often encouraged in course design in many educational institutions these days. The ABC method encourage also library instructors to think about e-learning tools, methods for active learning and opportunities for co-creation. Library courses, in difference from regular courses at universities, if often taught as a “one-shot-session”, and they rarely include formal evaluations. We therefore felt the need to adapt the method to better suit these circumstances. We adjusted both agenda and material, but all ideas and principles follow the original method. Evaluation showed good feedback regarding the proportion of participants who intended to change their course design after attending the workshop. This session will present the basic principles of the ABC-method and our experiences working with this approach to blended course planning. (Alternative if workshop: This workshop will give let you plan and design elements of a given course, utilizing the tools and methods of the ABC method.)


Author(s):  
Shahrokh Nikou ◽  
◽  
Seongcheol Kim

t In response to the global COVID-19 situation, quarantine measures have been implemented at the educational institutions around the world. This paper aims to determine the antecedent factors predicting the university students’ satisfaction with e-learning systems during the COVID-19 situation. We used structural equation modelling (SEM) and evaluated a conceptual model on the basis of a sample of university students from Finland (n = 131) and South Korea (n = 114). The SEM results showed that the COVID-19 related factors, i.e., COVID19 awareness, perceived challenges during COVID-19 and the educational institutions’ preparedness indirectly influence the satisfaction with e-learning systems. Moreover, we found a statistically significant moderating effect of course design quality, and instructor’s teaching style between the COVID-19 related factors and the satisfaction with e-learning systems. The implications of these results for the management of e‐learning systems are discussed.


2020 ◽  
Vol 8 (12) ◽  
pp. 805-810
Author(s):  
Alka Sharma ◽  
◽  
Hina Jain Gupta ◽  

In the last two decades, technology has evolved at a great pace and has influenced almost all spheres of life and education is no exception to it. Nowadays, most of the educational institutions are using various tools and equipments to impart education to the students. This paper has tried to explore the impact of e-education tools on thestudents in higher educational institutions. The sample consists of students enrolled in higher educational institutions. Both quantitative and qualitative methods have been adopted for data collection including questionnaires, semi-structured &open-ended interviews. Use of computer and internet was found to be one of the most important e-learning tools. The findings are expected to assist the higher educational institutions in framing their policies to impart quality education to the students.


Author(s):  
Ruth Wallace

E-learning has been promoted as a key component of improving educational access and opportunity internationally, but for disenfranchised learners, many forms of e-learning are just as alien as the educational systems they have rejected. M-learning utilises technologies, activities and social systems that are integrated into many people’s lives, including those who have had limited access to, or rejected, formal education systems. This paper discusses projects conducted in Northern Australia that explored a range of e-tools to support indigenous students’ engagement and recognition of their knowledge and contexts. Mobile learning tools emerged as the preferred way to learn throughout the project. This approach challenges educational institutions to connect to students’ lives and contexts. This paper shows how participants utilised m-learning to demonstrate their diverse knowledge systems, the decisions they made about representing knowledge though m-learning, and the implications for trainers and assessors.


Author(s):  
Niall Sclater

Elearning has grown rapidly in importance for institutions and has been largely facilitated through the “walled garden” of the virtual learning environment. Meanwhile many students are creating their own personal learning environments by combining the various Web 2.0 services they find most useful. Cloud computing offers new opportunities for institutions to provide dynamic and up-to-date Internet-based, e-learning applications while ensuring high levels of service, and compliance with institutional policies and legislation. The cloud is rapidly evolving in its architecture, the services offered and the logistics of deployment. It brings with it risks but also possibilities for learners and for educational institutions to reduce costs and enhance services. It is likely to severely disrupt the business model developed by existing vendors of VLEs who provide an integrated suite of e-learning tools, installed and maintained by the institution’s IT services department.


2010 ◽  
pp. 661-670
Author(s):  
Niall Sclater

Elearning has grown rapidly in importance for institutions and has been largely facilitated through the “walled garden” of the virtual learning environment. Meanwhile many students are creating their own personal learning environments by combining the various Web 2.0 servicesthey find most useful. Cloud computing offers new opportunities for institutions to provide dynamic and up-to-date Internet-based, e-learning applications while ensuring high levels of service, and compliance with institutional policies and legislation. The cloud is rapidly evolving in its architecture, the services offered and the logistics of deployment. It brings with it risks but also possibilities for learners and for educational institutions to reduce costs and enhance services. It is likely to severely disrupt thebusiness model developed by existing vendors of VLEs who provide an integrated suite of e-learning tools, installed and maintained by the institution’s IT services department.


2011 ◽  
Vol 3 (1) ◽  
pp. 53-63 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ruth Wallace

E-learning has been promoted as a key component of improving educational access and opportunity internationally, but for disenfranchised learners, many forms of e-learning are just as alien as the educational systems they have rejected. M-learning utilises technologies, activities and social systems that are integrated into many people’s lives, including those who have had limited access to, or rejected, formal education systems. This paper discusses projects conducted in Northern Australia that explored a range of e-tools to support indigenous students’ engagement and recognition of their knowledge and contexts. Mobile learning tools emerged as the preferred way to learn throughout the project. This approach challenges educational institutions to connect to students’ lives and contexts. This paper shows how participants utilised m-learning to demonstrate their diverse knowledge systems, the decisions they made about representing knowledge though m-learning, and the implications for trainers and assessors.


10.28945/4628 ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 19 ◽  
pp. 731-753
Author(s):  
Kesavan Vadakalu Elumalai ◽  
Jayendira P Sankar ◽  
Kalaichelvi R ◽  
Jeena Ann John ◽  
Nidhi Menon ◽  
...  

Aim/Purpose: The objective of the research was to study the relationship of seven independent factors: administrative support, course content, course design, instructor characteristics, learner characteristics, social support, and technical support on quality of e-learning in higher education during the COVID-19 pandemic. Further, the study analyzes the moderating effect(s) of gender and level of the course on the quality of e-learning in higher education during the COVID-19 pandemic. objective of the research was to study the relationship of seven independent factors: administrative support, course content, course design, instructor characteristics, learner characteristics, social support, and technical support on quality of e-learning in higher education during COVID-19 pandemic. Background: The COVID-19 pandemic situation has impacted the entire education system, especially universities, and brought a new phase in education “e-learning.” The learning supported with electronic technology like online classes and portals to access the courses outside the classroom is known as e-learning. This study aimed to point out the variables influencing the quality of e-learning, such as administrative support, course content, course design, instructor characteristics, learner characteristics, social support, and technological support. Methodology: An inferential statistics cross-sectional study was conducted of the students of higher education institutions in India and the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia with a self-administered questionnaire to learn the students’ perception of e-learning. All levels of undergraduate and postgraduate students took part in the study with a sample size of 784. Ultimately, this study used a Structural Equation Modelling (SEM) approach to find the positive relationship between the quality of e-learning and the seven independent variables and two moderating variables in the higher education sector. Contribution: The study aims to explore the quality of e-learning in higher education from the students’ perspective. The study was analyzed based on the student’s data collected from the higher educational institutions of India and Saudi Arabia. The study will support the top management and administrators of higher educational institutions in decision making. Findings: The findings revealed that there is a positive relationship between the set of variables and the quality of e-learning in the higher education sector. Also, there is a significant difference in the perception of the students between gender, level of the course, and quality of e-learning in the higher education sector during the COVID-19 pandemic. Recommendations for Practitioners: The results of the study can help top management and administrators of higher educational institutions to improve their actions. Higher educational institutions need to concentrate on the study outcomes related to administrative support, course content, course design, instructor characteristics, learner characteristics, social support, and technological support to enhance the quality of e-learning. The study revealed that there should be a difference in the procedure of providing e-learning based on the level of the course and gender of the students. Recommendation for Researchers: The results were examined and interpreted in detail, based on the perspective of the students, and concluded with a view for future research. The study will be beneficial for academic researchers from different countries with a different set of students and framework. Impact on Society: The study revealed that the positive results of the students’ perspective on the quality of e-learning would help the policy-makers of the country in providing the learning process during the COVID-19 pandemic. Also, the result explored the importance of the quality aspects of e-learning for improvement. Future Research: There is a need for future studies to expose the quality of e-learning in higher education in the post-COVID-19 pandemic. Further researchers will bring the performance level of e-learning during the COVID-19 pandemic.


2013 ◽  
Vol 8-9 ◽  
pp. 55-64 ◽  
Author(s):  
Cosmin Porumb ◽  
Sanda Porumb ◽  
Bogdan Orza ◽  
Aurel Vlaicu

The technical educational act means theory and practice, individual study, group-based projects or experimental work that involves equipment, simulation/emulation software packages and laboratory applications. In order to develop advanced e-learning tools and integrate them within online platforms for higher and postgraduate engineering education, new methodologies should be taken into consideration: project-and problem based learning, virtual laboratory (remote access to laboratory infrastructure and task evaluation) or remote assistance for diploma projects and mobility grants. This paper presents new blended learning concepts and approaches and the manner they can be adopted in engineering education, by using the symbiotic computing paradigms adapted to blended learning, especially blended learning gap and blended learning bridge.


Author(s):  
Lisa Soon ◽  
Campbell Fraser

How does e-learning support group work in university information and communication technology (ICT) education within a blended learning environment? While face-to-face interaction was possible for on-campus student group work, distance education students could only perform their group work online. This research adopted a qualitative case study approach. It explored the e-learning use by students in a core subject ‘Software Development’ in a Bachelor of ICT program with three group work assessments. The findings indicate that, while technology could effectively help students to collaborate in their group work and assessment tasks, some technological features in the learning management system are highly subject to constant enhancement, due to the nature of the subject requirements and the need to facilitate frequent technology-mediated interactions in some situations. A model of group work collaboration is developed to explain the need for a new design and development of features in e-learning tools.


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